A Prayer for Students of Criminal Justice

praying your way through university #2

I’ve been tasked with helping to integrate faith into the programs of the College of Online Learning at Evangel University, and I’m going to do it with prayer. You can read the full introduction to these prayers here.

Students will be invited to pray along with their professors as they study.

The prayers are modeled on a medieval art form called a florilegium which means “flower-gathering.” Each phrase of the prayer comes from a passage of Scripture (I’ve footnoted them). Each Scripture is like a flower from a different plant that, when brought together, creates a new and uniquely beautiful “bouquet.” They have a trinitarian structure, and (generally) follow the timeline of the Scriptures, moving from Creation and the OT, to Jesus, to the Spirit and the life of the world to come. The hope is that students will learn to pray in trinitarian fashion, and that they’ll get some biblical literacy while they do.

If you share this prayer, please link this page for the Scripture references.

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Father of Mercies,

Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne.¹

You oppose those who pervert justice, show partiality, and accept bribes.²

You appoint authorities, and they are to be your servants.³

Jesus Christ,

For our sake, you became sin even though you knew no sin.⁴

You forgave the thief on the cross and promised him paradise.⁵

You command us to be merciful even as our Father is merciful.⁶

Holy Spirit,

Teach us your justice.⁷

Remind us that though we might be bound with chains as criminals, the word of God is not bound.⁸

Anoint us to set the prisoners free,⁹

To help the weak,¹⁰

And so fulfill the law of Christ.¹¹

To the One who sits on the great white throne—

Amen

1. Psalm 97:2

2. Deuteronomy 16:19

3. Romans 13:1, 4

4. 2 Corinthians 5:21

5. Luke 23:39-43

6. Luke 6:36

7. Micah 3:8

8. 2 Timothy 2:9

9. Luke 4:18

10. 1 Thessalonians 5:14

11. Galatians 6:2